Yuugou Hakusho
by Mistress 259
Summary: After a devastating injury, Kurama takes refuge in a human's womb. His plan is to leave his human family after regaining his strength. But things don't always go as planned...
1. Part 1

**Summary**: The story of Kurama's life, from just before his rebirth as Shuuichi Minamino to his encounter with Yuusuke.

**Warnings**: Knowledge of _Yu Yu Hakusho_ preferable. Rated for language and some adult content.

**Author's Notes**: The word "yuugou" refers to the blending of two separate entities. Kurama himself used the word to refer to his situation (comic #10, page 10). "Hakusho" literally means "blank pages," and is used to refer to a journal or diary. Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

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Yuugou Hakusho Part I**

First, there was an absence of everything. He floated in that nothingness for an incalculable amount of time. Eventually, there was warmth and a deep, rhythmic echo, more a feeling than a sound. The warmth and the echo surrounded him as he floated, and he knew that he had succeeded. It had been a gamble, discarding his body and fleeing to the human realm.

He waited with infinite patience, as cells divided, specialized, and coalesced into the form that would become his new self. Occasionally, he slept, but often, he listened to the cadence that was first just one echoing tone, then eventually became two separate tones. He heard other sounds, too, but he couldn't identify them. They seemed to flow together smoothly and repeat a pattern, surrounding him with vibrations. These sounds didn't occur constantly, but at intervals. Oddly, he found them soothing.

And as he waited, he absorbed the human soul, a blank slate waiting for a life story. He felt the humanity seep into his being, spreading into corners tentatively, subtly altering textures...

Then, much later, he experimented with movement, becoming accustomed to his new vessel. He checked for irregularities, problems, but satisfied himself that the form was hale. He had no concept of time, but he knew that the moment was coming soon.

And abruptly, he was shoved out of the dark warmth and pulled out into the blinding loudness.

* * *

He was dismayed to discover that human infants were weak and incapable. He couldn't get his vision to clear, and he felt terribly uncoordinated. He flailed about weakly as a large figure held him up. A hand smacked his naked body.

"Doctor, is there something wrong?" he heard a tired voice whisper. It sounded concerned.

There was no response. The smack was repeated, and this time, he tried to protest. What came out of his mouth was an undignified scream.

"Everything is fine, Mrs. Minamino," the large figure said with a hint of relief, "You have a fine, healthy son."

He was cleaned and bundled up by a different figure. He was somewhat shocked at the production; there seemed to be so many humans involved in just one birth. In his realm, an infant would have been fortunate to not be birthed and left on the side of the road. In his realm, however, an infant would have been more capable of fending for itself.

He was eventually placed on a warm chest, and he tried to focus on the faces looking down at him. With a frustrating effort, he was finally able to see the male standing above him and the female holding him. They seemed to almost glow as they smiled at him.

_Greetings, Mother, Father. I am the demon spirit who has consumed your son's soul. _

* * *

There were moments when he wished that he had not survived. Then, he would stare at the backs of his eyelids in frustration, seething at the unresponsiveness of his body to do his bidding and at the inability of his mouth to form his thoughts. _I should have learned more about humans before. I should have chosen an animal form instead. I should have never gotten careless enough to get killed... I have never been more frustrated, annoyed, humiliated... The great youko Kurama, forced to soil himself and feed on breast milk..._ If he still had his tail, he would have been twitching it in agitation.

The mother peered down at him with a smile. "Good morning, Shuuichi," she said cheerfully.

She picked him up and held him close. He tried to calm his breathing and compose himself. It was bad enough having to be changed and nursed; fuming the whole time would not help him deal with the situation. Ten years. If he could hang on for ten years, he would regain enough strength and be able to leave this charade.

The mother finally put him back in the crib but kept one hand on his chest. She patted him slowly as she sang a lullaby.

"Bouya, yoikoda, nen-ne shina..."

By now, he had figured out that this was the identity of the rhythmic patterns that he had heard in the womb. He had also figured out that she would not leave until he slept. So he let his eyelids drip closed, slowed his breathing, and listened to her leave the room quietly. He considered actually sleeping, since the lullaby had calmed him down some more, and really, he had nothing better to do, but then he heard the father returning. He spread out his focus to hear their conversation.

"Okaerinasai, Anata," the mother said.

"Tadaima. How was Shuuichi today?"

There was a pause. "I just put him to sleep. He is perfect, as always."

He thought he heard hesitation and uncertainty in the voice.

"No crying?"

Again, a pause. "No, not once."

"This is starting to seriously worry me, Shiori. He hasn't cried once since the day he was born. One week old infants do not sleep quietly all night and wait silently to be fed or changed!"

"I know that, but..."

"Maybe we should have the doctor look at him. Maybe my mother is right."

"That there is something wrong with his head? How can you agree with her?" the mother sounded furious.

"I didn't mean..."

"He's just a quiet boy. But he's intelligent. I know he is! I can tell by looking in his eyes!"

"Don't raise your voice. You'll wake the boy."

"I... I'm sorry, let's go into the kitchen."

The mother and father walked down the hallway. He heard a door close. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, contemplating their words. _So I'm not a normal infant, huh? Well, I can't just start screaming now, since that would probably seem strange to them as well...If I'm lucky, they'll decide I'm mute. But, no, I'd already screamed at my birth... What to do...?_

This was going to be a long ten years, he thought wearily. But he would have to make the best of it, in the meantime learning how other young humans acted. It was his own carelessness, from over-confidence developed over centuries of successful robberies and recklessness from recent upsetting events he'd prefer to forget, that had gotten him into this situation. He would suffer the consequences.

* * *

Months went by, and their passage was frustratingly slow even for the patient demon. But there was progress. The parents, especially the father, were still concerned that their son never uttered a cry, but as he seemed to be hitting all other milestones ahead of schedule, they decided to act like it was simply a quirk and to wait it out. In all other respects, their son proved to be, as the mother had insisted from the start, quite intelligent. He was extremely observant and dexterous, exploring everything in his surroundings. When the mother would take him to the park, he would watch everything avidly: the birds, the squirrels, the plants, the other mothers and their young.

But he would not socialize. The mother watched the other infants acknowledge each other and make attempts at socializing, but her son would only sit and observe. Then she would watch him and notice his eyes. They occasionally seemed cold and distant... and ancient... and then the moment would pass and she would tell herself that she was being silly.

Kurama knew that the mother watched him constantly. But there was only so much he was willing to do to act human. He simply could not feign interest in the babbling, slobbering creatures crawling and waddling around the sandbox. The animals, and especially the plants, however, were another story. He could feel life rustling all around him and longed for the day when he would again be able to do more than just sense the plants.

"Minamino-san, your son is so well-behaved!" a woman in a blue dress had approached his mother. He turned his attention to the conversation.

"Thank you. Your daughter is lovely, Yamagishi-san," his mother responded. Kurama snorted internally. _That drooling thing?_

"Thank you. Mika is ten months now and chattering all the time. Of course, we don't understand her," the woman laughed, "How old is your son?"

"He will be one year old next month." _Aah, has it been over a year since my body's death? I wonder if anyone has discovered my caches..._

"So he will be walking all around soon," the woman commented.

"Actually, he already is," his mother said, pride apparent in her voice.

He had spent weeks attempting to discipline his young body into walking and had taken his parents by complete surprise when they discovered him taking tentative steps towards the bookshelf in the living room six weeks ago. He had been trying to get a closer look at the books' spines to observe the humans' written language. He was relieved to learn that the writing on the spines was in one of the languages he could read, but they weren't hand-written and looked much more uniform than the fluid characters he was familiar with. Reading the human books would just take some getting used to.

"And he must know quite a few words now?"

"Oh, yes, in fact, I feel like he understands everything we say," his mother said, then blushed, refraining from mentioning that her son still did not vocalize.

_Just wait until my abilities catch up with my thoughts, Mother. Then you will hear your son speak._

* * *

Once his mother began reading to him out of colorful picture books, Kurama was able to become more familiar with the writing. He discovered that Japanese humans used a third alphabet that he had never seen in the demon realm, a more angular one that was read like hiragana but seemed to be based off of kanji. They also occasionally used a fourth alphabet that looked nothing like the other three. The fourth alphabet ended up being from a foreign country, so he decided there was no hurry in learning to read a language he didn't speak. The demon realm was infinitely large, and in all his years, he had only encountered a handful of demons who spoke English.

That having been decided, he discovered that learning to read the humans' Japanese fluidly required some practice. The written Japanese of the human and demon realms obviously shared a common ancestor, but there were still enough differences to make reading less than easy. And then there were words used by humans that really didn't exist in demons' vocabularies...

He discovered a dictionary on the bookshelf, and with that as his guidebook, he began to fill in the gaps in his knowledge. It took longer than he'd like, since he had to hurriedly pull out the book, skim a section, then put the book back before his mother came back into the room. She never left him alone for long since Shuuichi was a two-year-old child. But slowly over a period of several months, Kurama became comfortable with the printed text used by humans and with the slight variation in words and characters. He was ready to do some research.

His first target was an atlas. He knew of several demons who had been operating in the human realm for centuries, and there were some he would want to avoid once he returned to full power and left the Minaminos. But for one who was not familiar with the layout of the country, an atlas was not designed for a quick skim. Kurama lay on the floor with the atlas open in front of him, finally having determined that the names he heard at train stations were not necessarily the names of the towns or cities. _Okay, so they seem to be the names of the stations themselves. So where exactly am I? I'm going to have to get a hold of a piece of mail. But I'm never left alone in the kitchen... _

"Shuuichi? What are you doing?" his mother gasped.

_Damn! _

"Did you pull out the atlas? Did it fall on you?" she rushed over and knelt beside him, pulling the book out from under him and sliding it back onto the bottom shelf. She noticed the look of annoyance on her son's face. Annoyance? And now that she thought about it, it had almost looked like her two-year-old had been looking for something in the atlas... She immediately dismissed the thought and picked up her son.

"You are a mysterious child, my son. I wonder what you will be when you grow up."

_A shape-shifting, plant-controlling fox-demon in a human shell._

She looked at him fondly, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Kurama stared back at her, tilting his head slightly as he pondered the sadness.

"Will you ever speak, my son? Will you ever laugh?"

His parents had eventually spoken with the doctor about his lack of speech. After all this time, his mother had to agree with her husband that their son was unusual. But after a few tests, the doctor had told them that Shuuchi was in perfect physical health and showed no signs of a hindered intelligence. In fact, Shuuichi understood all instructions given to him and showed high visual and spatial intelligence. The doctor told the worried parents that their son simply seemed to be choosing not to speak. But he could not tell them if their son would eventually choose to do so. That had been over a year ago.

Kurama considered his mother's questions, and her sadness, then grinned. "What would you have me say?"

His mother's jaw dropped. She fell backwards in a faint, still holding onto Kurama.

_Ow! Damn, I should have thought about that._

And so his self-imposed period of silence came to a crashing halt shortly before Shuuichi's third birthday.

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Japanese vocabulary found in Chapter 1:**

"Bouya, yoikoda, nen-ne shina" - beginning phrase of a lullaby, literally meaning, "You're a good boy, go to sleep"

Okaerinasai - Welcome back/home

Anata - literally means "you," but is often used by wives to address their husbands instead of names

Tadaima - I'm home


	2. Part 2

**Summary**: The story of Kurama's life, from just before his rebirth as Shuuichi Minamino to his encounter with Yuusuke.

**Warnings**: Knowledge of _Yu Yu Hakusho_ preferable. Rated for language and some adult content.

**Author's Notes**: The word "yuugou" refers to the blending of two separate entities. Kurama himself used the word to refer to his situation (comic #10, page 10). "Hakusho" literally means "blank pages," and is used to refer to a journal or diary. Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

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**Part II**

His parents, the relatives, and the neighbors made such a big deal about his sudden and perfect speech that Kurama decided it was best to not reveal that he could read the newspaper if he so desired. He did not need the attention drawn to himself, so it would be best to simply function at the higher end of abilities for children Shuuichi's age. He also continued to be a quiet child, speaking only when addressed directly. Nevertheless, it was eventually known throughout the neighborhood that the Minamino boy was a genius.

Thus, the following spring, he was enrolled in a pre-school for gifted children. His parents hoped that he would find the experience exciting and challenging, and that he would finally make some friends.

Kurama hated it.

He was now forced to spend several hours a day with loud, rambunctious children, drawing pictures and singing silly songs with silly adults. By the time they were four years old, many demon races would already have been functioning as adults for several years. But human children were slow and uncoordinated and fragile.

"How was your day, Shuuichi?" his mother asked as he got off of the pre-school bus.

"Good," he lied, "We learned a new song and planted morning glory seeds."

Actually, the planting part of the day had not been that bad. It had felt good to be handling the seeds, even if he could not encourage them to spring instantly into a tall, crawling vine covered with wide magenta and white bugles. He had recovered about half of the demon energy he required to be able to function effectively, so he had been tempted to manipulate the seeds, but had restrained himself.

"I'm so pleased you're enjoying school," his mother smiled at him and took his hand, "I'm sure you're making many friends," she added hopefully.

"Sure," Kurama lied again.

"Is there anyone you'd like to invite over for a play date?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh, well maybe eventually," she sounded disappointed. They walked on in silence for a while. Then, his mother said, "Mrs. Nakata asked me to stop by. Would you mind if we did that now, Shuuichi? It won't take too long."

Nakata, the house where that very old man lived. Kurama had noticed the man staring at him from the porch several times. It had made him somewhat nervous.

"I don't mind," he lied once more.

So they ended up at the front door of the Nakata residence. A plump woman with short, curly hair answered the door.

"Shiori-san, and Shuuichi-kun, too! My, how adorable you look in your uniform!" the woman patted Kurama on top of the head. "Do come in!"

"Thank you, Ayumi-san," his mother said, and stepped into the proffered slippers. There were no slippers his size, so Kurama walked into the home in his socks.

They were led into the living area. Mrs. Nakata served them juice and cookies, then brought out a package and an album.

"My in-laws sent us a whole box of soba noodles, so I wanted to share them with you," she said, "and I finally developed the pictures you wanted to see."

"Oh, from your trip?"

Sensing that the visit could be longer than anticipated, Kurama wandered over to the open glass door and looked into the small yard.

"Shuuichi-kun, you can go ahead and look outside. Our cat is probably sunning himself out there."

"Thank you," Kurama responded, and stepped into the sandals sitting outside the door. They were too large, so he shuffled awkwardly out into the yard. He wasn't particularly interested in seeing the cat, so he stood under the plum tree and looked up at the sparsely blossoming tree. The tree wasn't entirely healthy. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sense the tree's problem.

And he smelled death.

Kurama whirled around and saw the old man sitting on the tatami room patio. His grayish skin lay in deep folds across his hands and face, and the rest of his body was shrouded in an old kimono. He didn't move, and if his eyes hadn't been open and clear, Kurama would have thought that the man was already dead.

"What are you doing here?" the old man croaked out slowly.

"I was admiring the flowers," Kurama answered equally slowly.

"No, what are you doing _here_, spirit? Were you sent to get me?"

Kurama's breath stopped. He knew that some human's had a sixth sense. Or perhaps it was lucidity brought on by the nearness of death.

"I am not here for you..." he finally said. He took a step closer to the old man. He was curious. "What do you see?"

The old man squinted at him. "I see... energy...wild energy..." his eyes widened, "You are a demon child!" He struggled to stand, panicked. "You're taking me to hell!"

Kurama grabbed him by the kimono, trying to quiet him. _If they hear..._ He didn't want to create a scene. There were already enough people talking about him regularly.

"Listen to me," he hissed, "I'm not here to hurt you." The old man continued to struggle.

In desperation, Kurama sent out his energy. He pointed to the plum tree and forced the man to look at it. The man gasped as the branches erupted in white blossoms. A sweet scent filled the air.

The old man stopped struggling and looked down at the boy in amazement. "You did that?"

"I'm not here to hurt you," Kurama repeated firmly, slowly releasing the man. A wave of weariness hit him. He wasn't yet ready to expend energy like that.

"Beautiful..." the old man sighed, his eyes becoming misty. "My wife loved that tree... Oh, Shima, I'm coming to join you..."

Slowly, the man's eyes closed, and Kurama felt the soul leave the body. He stood there for several heartbeats, looking at the body that was still sitting upright. Then he turned away and walked back to the glass door and entered the house.

"Oh, Shuuichi, I was just coming to get you. Did you get to visit with the cat?" his mother asked.

"No." He looked at Mrs. Nakata for a moment, then asked his mother, "Are we leaving?"

"Yes, let us go."

Later, back on the street with his mother holding his hand once more, he stated, "I met the old man."

"Oh, Mr. Nakata's grandfather? He used to be an artist when he was younger, I heard. He's quite old now."

"Yes, he was," Kurama responded. His mother looked down at him in puzzlement, then decided that she had misheard him. But when she learned the following day that the elderly Mr. Nakata had passed away, she remembered Shuuichi's words and felt a brief chill in her heart. She was afraid to ask, but she wanted to be certain.

"Shuuichi," she approached her son who, she noted with surprise, was looking through a book on botany. The book was opened to the section on plum trees. _This boy never ceases to amaze me._

"Yes, Okaasan?"

"Umm, do you remember Mr. Nakata's grandfather?"

"Of course, I just met him yesterday." Despite herself, she smiled at his response.

"Well, he passed away yesterday..." she said hesitantly.

"I know."

She stared at her four-year-old son for a long moment. "Do you understand what that means?"

"His soul is no longer in his body."

She continued to stare at him, eyes widening. Then she realized something. "Wait, Shuuichi, do you mean that you know because someone told you before I just did?"

"No, he died while I was with him."

She cringed as he used the word "died," then felt the full force of the shocking words. "While you were with him? How...? What....? Why didn't you say something then?"

"He was already dead. He couldn't be revived." Kurama couldn't understand why the woman had such a horrified look on her face. He knew that all humans and most demon races didn't have the ability to possess another body after losing their original one. His race was one of the few exceptions. So there was nothing left to do once the old man's soul left the body.

For the first time, Shiori regretted her son's brilliantly analytical mind. She recalled the times she thought she had seen a coldness in his infant eyes and shuddered. And later that week as she attended the wake at the Nakata residence, she noticed the full plum tree that had been looking somewhat sickly for a few years. Her mind flashed back to an image of Shuuichi reading about plum trees, and she shuddered again without knowing why.

* * *

Shiori rested her hands against the low fence as she chatted with the woman next door. Her son was late again, so she had come outside to see if she could see him coming down the street.

"Your yard always looks so beautiful, Shiori-san. You must work so hard on it," admired Mrs. Watanabe.

"Actually, I don't do a thing. It seems to take care of itself," Shiori responded. "My son spends more time out here than I do," she added.

"Maybe he'll be a gardener when he grows up," the other woman suggested. "Although he's so bright. Maybe he'll be a doctor. He just started first grade, right?"

"Yes, he takes the train by himself now, although it's just the next stop over," and yet, he's been coming home later than expected, she added silently.

Shuuichi continued to be an enigma. His preschool and kindergarten teachers all said that he was a bright, well-behaved, friendly, and polite little boy who learned things the first time he was taught them. He played well with the other students, never showed anger, and was exceptionally calm. The teachers couldn't seem to praise him enough. Yet, Shiori knew how unusual these descriptions were for a child of Shuuichi's age. And there was the fact that he still did not socialize with children outside of the school setting.

"Shuuichi-kun isn't home yet? He must be hanging out with some classmates. I imagine he's very popular," Mrs. Watanabe commented.

Popular? Well, the teachers and the girls always seemed to love him, but some boys tended to resent him. And considering Shuuichi's own feelings towards his classmates, Shiori knew that her son was not socializing after school. So what did he do? Where did he go? He had given her reasonable excuses so far, but now, a month into the new school year, she was beginning to wonder about his after-school activities. What could a six-year-old boy be doing?

She decided to find out for herself.

The next day found her near the elementary school, hidden from view of the students as they came out of the front gates. She watched Shuuichi walk out alone and turn towards the train station. She followed him at what she decided would be a safe distance. When she saw him enter the crowded station, she hurried after him. She climbed up the steps, then realized that she didn't see her son. She turned around several times, worried. People shoved past her hurriedly.

"Were you looking for me, Okaasan?" a soft voice inquired.

Shiori turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Shuuchi step out of the shadows in a corner of the station.

"Shuuichi..." she began, uncertain of how to continue.

"I assume you came to pick me up?" the child stepped up to her and placed his small hand in hers.

"Umm, yes, I was on my way home from an errand..." then, since she had to ask, "How did you know I was here?"

The boy looked up at her briefly, then tugged her arm. "Let's go home."

Shiori sighed, then let him pull her among the crowd. She loved her fiercely independent and extremely intelligent son and trusted him to know how to take care of himself. She would simply have to learn to live with the fact that he was also a very private and secretive child. And she would have to let him be that way, as long as he remained healthy and seemed happy.

Kurama knew that his mother was not happy with his answer, or the lack of one. But she seemed to truly trust him and would not press him on the issue. He sighed. He was going to have to make more of an effort to act like a proper human son. The truth was, as soon as he had the freedom to commute to school alone, he had taken to haunting a few secluded parks. He needed to get away from humans and their bustling life and simply sit among bushes or in trees and just be by himself. Well, he would have to limit those escapes somewhat.

_Four more years. I just have to be patient for four more years._ Then he could leave his human parents and try to find a random portal back to the demon realm. Or, he could establish a territory here in the human realm for a few decades until he was closer to his original level of power. That would be the safest bet, since he would still be weak by demon standards in four years. In a while, his human flesh and blood would finish absorbing demon energy and he would hopefully be able to shapeshift again, thus allowing him to take on his original form. And though his energy would still be lower than before, if he could survive another century, he could potentially build his power back to what it had been. He would just have to remember to return to the demon realm before he became too powerful to pass through the portals.

"Shuuichi," his mother broke the silence after they got off at their stop, "why don't we go do something fun this weekend? Just the three of us."

"Okay. What will we do?"

"Well, how about the amusement park? The fast rides frighten me, but your father will ride with you, I'm sure."

"Amusement park?" he didn't sound very enthusiastic.

"Or someplace else. Is there something that you want to see or do?"

The boy pondered for a moment. "Well, are there any shrines dedicated to Inari around here?"

Shiori stopped in her tracks and turned towards her son. Then laughed softly. _Oh, Shuuichi, my dear enigmatic son..._

* * *

They ended up taking a trip to Mt. Takao for a day of hiking. After taking 2 trains and a crowded bus, Kurama was feeling extremely anti-social and cranky. He still hadn't gotten used to crowds of humans. But as he stepped off of the bus with his parents, he felt immediately charged. _There's a demon here._ He looked up at the mountain and stretched out his senses. He would need to mask his growing youki or risk an unwanted encounter.

"Look, Shuuichi, there's a little shrine right there. Do you want to go look at it?" his mother asked.

Kurama glanced over and noted the wards draped around the trees. "No," he responded, then added with a smile, "I want to begin our hike." He wouldn't be able to approach it without dealing with the wards, and although they looked like weak wards, he didn't think he had the strength yet to destroy them. And this shrine was for a minor deity he had no interest in.

"Shuuichi, Shiori," his father called, "the trail starts over here." He started to walk down the path, and the other two followed.

There were many hikers out since it was a warm, clear day. The Minamino family climbed at a relatively steady pace, stopping occasionally to admire flowers or the view spreading out below them. Kurama enjoyed the fresh air and exercise, but felt a little uneasy as he sensed the other demon presence growing stronger. However, it did not seem hostile or aware of his presence.

The family eventually reached a clearing that gave them a grand view. And Kurama felt the demon just meters away. Who was it, and why was it leaving the humans alone? His curiosity got the better of him, so while his parents were rummaging through a backpack in search of the camera and binoculars, Kurama slipped away among the trees. He followed the other youki to a dark cluster of bushes. He walked around the bushes and determined that there was a tunnel or cavern hidden beneath them. Whatever was in there was in hibernation.

He turned abruptly... and dodged something that was launched at him. He looked up into the tree in front of him, and the branches twisted to grab the imp that was seated on the lowest limb.

"Hey, what the..." the imp struggled against the bonds.

"I don't really appreciate being attacked from behind," Kurama stated flatly.

The imp's eyes went wide. "You see me, human?" An imp, with its minute size and weak level of energy, was generally imperceptible to the human eye.

Kurama ignored the question and asked his own. "What is sleeping in there?"

The eyes opened wider. "Uhh, my master sleeps in there. And he is not to be disturbed."

The branches twisted tighter as Kurama repeated his question.

"My master is a dragon," the imp finally coughed out.

_A dragon? How did a dragon get past... Oh._

"Your master has been here for a very long time," Kurama stated. Since before the spirit world put up barriers between the demon and human realms... _A dragon that old is probably sleeping on some impressive treasure... So tempting...._

He heard his human name being called frantically. He looked back at the bushes, making up his mind.

"Go," he said, releasing the imp, "but never attack me again."

"Then don't come near my master!" the imp demanded. Kurama raised an eyebrow. He wasn't going to agree to that... but he would leave the dragon alone for now. Maybe in another century...

He turned as his parents came rushing through the trees. His mother swept him into a hug. "Here you are! You had us worried!" she scolded.

"I'm sorry," he said, then after tilting his head at her, he returned the hug.

His father looked around. "Who were you talking to, Shuuichi?"

"Nobody. I was here by myself."

"Why did you come over here?" his mother asked, still in a scolding tone.

"I just wanted to see what was here," Kurama replied, then smiling as if it were an afterthought, released his hold and started to walk back to the trail, "Did you find the camera? Shall we take a picture?"

His parents looked at each other, then his father shrugged and followed. His mother stood there for awhile longer, watching Shuuichi walk away, then sighed and followed as well.

* * *

**Japanese Vocabulary for Part 2**

Tatami - a woven mat

Okaasan - mother (honorific "o" can be removed for "mom")

Inari - deity often represented in the form of a fox

Youki - demon energy/aura


	3. Part 3

**Summary**: The story of Kurama's life, from just before his rebirth as Shuuichi Minamino to his encounter with Yuusuke.

**Warnings**: Knowledge of _Yu Yu Hakusho_ preferable. Rated for language and some adult content.

**Author's Notes**: The word "yuugou" refers to the blending of two separate entities. Kurama himself used the word to refer to his situation (comic #10, page 10). "Hakusho" literally means "blank pages," and is used to refer to a journal or diary. Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

**Part III**

Shiori wondered occasionally what it would be like to have a less-than-perfect son. A son who disobeyed, who had tantrums, who argued, who got in fights with other children, a son who laughed joyfully at little things. Instead, she had a son who brought home perfect grades, who was faultlessly polite, who showed absolute calm, a son who was capable, independent, and mature beyond his years. A perfect son that the neighborhood parents envied the Minaminos for having... and yet, she sometimes envied the neighbors. Well, Shuuichi did have his faults, or more accurately, his quirks. He still disappeared abruptly on occasion for longer and longer periods, and he still didn't socialize with children his age outside of school. But these "faults" only added to the occasional sadness she felt over his perfection. It broke her heart that he seemed so distant at times, and old, too... As he grew, he acted warmer and friendlier, but that was the thing... she wondered sometimes if he weren't _acting_. His ninth birthday was coming up, but he seemed to be eight going on eighty...

"Is something wrong, Kaasan?" Shiori looked up as her son entered the kitchen. She realized she had been staring at the sink.

"Oh, no, Shuuichi. I was just thinking about your birthday coming up and about how quickly you're growing up," she replied as the boy seated himself at the kitchen table. "How was your day?" She glanced at the clock and noted that school had been out for three hours.

"Fine," he answered almost automatically. Kurama watched as his mother went to the refrigerator and wondered what she had been preoccupied with. He knew that he was now much better at acting like a well-adjusted young boy, but he also knew that his mother still had moments of sadness over him. Strangely, this bothered him. _Why do I care how she feels? I'm a fox demon, a deceiver by nature, a thief by choice, and a killer by necessity. _

He tried to remember back to his original mother. He traced his memories back a thousand years and more... and could only recall a silver bundle of fur and yellow eyes that brought back food to the den. She had been around barely long enough for Kurama and his littermates to be able to fend for themselves. Then, they were on their own, fighting to survive the next century or so until they were able to shapeshift into the youko form and learn to use their growing demon powers. Kurama couldn't recall if any of his siblings had survived that long. He certainly hadn't run into any of them after they left the den. And he didn't think that he had ever seen their mother in the youko form, so she must have been a relatively weak and young fox. Now that he thought about it, she had probably been killed, and that was why he and his littermates had been abandoned at a younger age than was normal...

Which brought him back to his original thought. He had no real memory of a caring, giving, and loving mother. Kurama was not entirely ignorant of the concept of love, for contrary to human belief, there were many demons who were capable of feeling love. He simply had not been exposed to it directly in his own life. Loyalty, dedication, friendship, lust, and even occasionally trust, but never love. Nor guilt, either. Demons rarely, if ever, felt remorse or guilt.

And yet here he was feeling guilty, for he had finally identified it as guilt, because this woman who loved him felt sadness. This woman who loved him unconditionally merely because he was her son. _Well, at least the body is..._ he thought wryly. He watched the woman as she chopped the nappa cabbage, then the enoki mushrooms.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and let go of the knife. A thin red line appeared on her left index finger.

Kurama went to a cabinet and rummaged in a drawer. "Here, Kaasan," he handed her a tube of medicine and an adhesive bandage as she finished washing the wound. He directed her toward the chair he had just abandoned and sat her in it.

"Thank you, Shuuichi. I don't know how that happened. My mind must have been wandering..."

Kurama stepped up to the counter and continued chopping the vegetables. His mother watched as the eight-year-old handled the knife skillfully. He completed the vegetables, then went to the refrigerator and brought out the palettes of thinly sliced beef and the container of tofu. As he pulled the portable electric grill out of a lower cabinet, his mother finally opened her mouth.

"How did you know what I was making, Shuuichi?" she asked, surprise apparent in her voice.

He looked at her for a moment, then looked back at the vegetables on the counter. "The ingredients you already had out."

She looked back at him, her eyes shining admiration, respect and love. "You are a wonderful, amazing boy. What would I do without you?"

Kurama cringed as he felt that twinge in his heart again.

-----

Shuuichi Minamino was the model student. The other fourth graders could not compete with him, neither with his academic nor with his athletic skills. His male classmates had long since learned that his willowy build was deceptive and that he was faster and more agile than any of them. And his female classmates fought for his attention, completely smitten with his pretty face. Shuuichi was a superstar.

Meanwhile, Kurama still hated school. It was a complete waste of his time, relearning science and math he was already familiar with, and having to learn human history and literature that he had no interest in. That combined with having to spend time with immature, powerless human children who hadn't lived a hundredth of the years that he had... Not to mention the adult teachers who couldn't praise him enough, yet still treated him like a child... But he would be patient. It wouldn't be much longer before he could leave his human parents. Until then, he would be the model son.

Which, for now, meant being well-behaved and doing well in school.

"Kaasan, I'm going to need a large can for art tomorrow. Do you have any empty ones?"

"There's one on the top shelf there. I'll get it for you, Shuuichi."

"It's okay, I can get it," Kurama said, pulling a stool up to the cabinet and climbing onto it. He occasionally missed his former body, which at a height of almost seven feet, would not have needed a stool. Briefly, he thought about his body. _It would be long gone by now, consumed by lesser demons. Even the bones..._ He had never been the overly sentimental sort, but the thought still disturbed him. _Ingested, digested, and... ugh!_ He shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of the image.

"Shuuichi!" his mother's cry brought him back to reality. A stack of plates was falling off of the shelf towards him. _What the...!_ He shifted his weight backward, then suddenly started falling as the stool tipped back with him. He heard the plates breaking beneath him. _Shit! Not good!_ He couldn't maneuver himself out of the situation without looking completely inhuman. He would just have to take the fall...

And he landed hard and heard flesh being broken by the shards. Except it wasn't his flesh. He sat hurriedly and turned to face his mother. She sat up as well and cradled her bloody arms, pieces of china still stuck in them.

"Shuuichi, are you hurt?" she gasped through the pain.

"Kaasan..." Kurama stared at her, awe-struck. It took him a moment to register what had just happened. _She took the pain that should have been mine! A human who can't heal quickly like I can..._

"Shuuichi?"

"I'm fine, Kaasan. I'm not hurt."

She smiled and gave a sigh of relief, "I'm glad you're okay."

And there was that twinge in his heart again.

-----

_Even the best laid plans..._ Kurama wasn't entirely certain when or how it had happened. But he seemed to be stuck. He glanced over at his mother who was flipping through a magazine. Several wicked looking scars peeked out from the sleeves of her shirt. For some reason, they had never healed well. And every time that he looked at them, he was reminded of her smile and sigh of relief that he had not been hurt. And with a mere thought of the scars, he would find himself turning back towards home, unable to leave this life. _That damned guilt..._

"Are you okay, Shuuichi?"

"What?"

"Your character just got killed," his mother pointed out.

"Huh? Oh, I let my mind wander," Kurama said and turned his attention back to the video game he was playing.

Shiori watched as her son refocused on the game. He had been somewhat distracted lately, and she often found him observing her with a look of... confusion?... on his face. She thought back to the plate accident and remembered that he had been shocked and confused then, too. What had caused that unusual reaction? That he had fallen? Yes, he had never exhibited signs of clumsiness, so that might be a surprise. But, no, that didn't seem to be it. He had looked at _her_ in shock and confusion. Because she was bleeding? No, Shuuichi had always been coolly detached about injuries, and even about death. Had he been shocked because she had stopped him from falling on the broken china? Could that be it? Even now, he had been looking at her scars... _Oh, my poor, self-reliant son. Did it really surprise you so much that I would want to protect you from harm?_ Even as she asked herself that question, she knew the answer. Shuuichi had never come to his parents seeking comfort, had never asked to have things done for him, had always taken care of himself... _Such a lonely way to live, my son..._

-----

Shortly after, Shuuichi seemed to become protective of his mother. Shiori found him hovering around her more frequently, lifting heavy things for her, walking between her and the traffic, standing with a hand at her back as the train lurched the passengers into each other... Then, the unthinkable happened, and Shiori learned just how much she could really count on her son.

Her husband hadn't called from the office to say that he would be late, so she and Shuuichi waited on dinner, assuming that he was just running a little late and would be in shortly. The phone rang.

"That must be Tousan," Shiori said, "Maybe we'll have to eat on our own after all." She picked up the phone, "Yes, Minamino residence."

Kurama was reading on the couch. He looked up as his mother dropped the phone and fell onto the floor.

"Kaasan?" he rushed over, grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards him, "What is it?" She had fainted.

He picked up the phone. "This is her son. What's going on?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry," a man's voice said on the other end, "but there's been an accident. Can I speak to your mother again so I can give her the information of the hospital?"

Hospital? "She's...incapacitated. You can talk with me," Kurama said shortly, "Is it my father?"

There was a pause, then, "Your father is..." The man paused again, unsure of what he should tell a young child.

Irritation flared through Kurama. He could guess what this was about. "I assume he didn't survive?" It was more statement than question.

"Uh..." the man sounded flustered. Was he really speaking to a little boy?

"Where is he being held?" Kurama asked, then took note of the information as he observed his mother beginning to rouse. He hung up the phone, then helped his mother sit up.

"Your father," her voice shook and there were tears in her eyes.

"I know," Kurama said simply, "Go have some water and get your coat." His mother stood up without question and walked into the kitchen.

Kurama picked up the phone again.

When Shiori came back into the living room, still in a daze, her son already had his coat and her purse. He led her out the front door and locked it behind them. The Watanabes, the next door neighbors, were waiting in their car. Kurama helped his mother into the back seat, then handed Mr. Watanabe the hospital's address.

"Thank you for taking us," the boy said after he fastened his mother's seatbelt. "I couldn't get the taxi company to take me seriously," the ten-year-old sounded slightly irritated at being denied just because he sounded young. His mother sat next to him silently, tears running down her cheeks. Suddenly, she turned and tried to get out of the moving car.

"Kaasan!"

"The phone! I... I have to tell his parents what happened... They'll want to know..."

"It's okay, I've already called them, and the others, too," her son said, his fingers wrapped firmly around her arm, "It's too late tonight, but they're coming in tomorrow on the first bullet train they can get on. Your parents will be here, too."

His words finally broke through Shiori's shock. She stared at her remarkable son through misty eyes. "What would I do without you?" she asked again gratefully, then closed her eyes and leaned against her son.

Kurama let her lean against him for awhile, then hesitantly, put an arm around her shoulder. _She needs me._ He marveled at the thought. She had only him now.

_I will stay with her for awhile longer,_ _until I'm certain she will be okay._ _I owe her that, and my father, too. But after that, I will leave. Yes, I will definitely leave._ But he found that the thought didn't come as emphatically as before.

It had been a car accident. Kurama found himself surprised again by how weak humans were. His father had survived the initial impact, but with the medics unable to stop the bleeding and his lungs crushed severely, he had died as they were rushing him down the hospital hallway. Now his body lay under a white sheet on a table in the middle of the empty room. Shiori had taken one look at the figure and had rushed out in tears, unable to look at the face under the smaller white cloth. Kurama stood by the body alone, confirming that the soul had moved on. He carefully removed the small cloth and looked down at the face of the man he had been deceiving for a decade. This man had supplied half of the genetic material that made up his current body. And now he lay here as an empty shell, no hint of a soul. Kurama stood for several long moments, not certain what to do or how to react. Should he cry, as his mother was doing now? Should he rant about human frailty? Should he swear vengeance and hunt down the driver of the vehicle? Death was commonplace in the Makai, and he had caused his share of it. He had also lost countless comrades to it over the centuries. But he went on, because that was what he did, what all demons did. Why should this one death be any more significant? Kurama couldn't answer that, but somehow, he felt that it was.

"Shuuichi-kun, come, you shouldn't be in here by yourself," Mr. Watanabe approached him from behind. He noticed that the boy had removed the cloth covering the face, and he took it from him uncomfortably. He replaced it gingerly, then put a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy looked up at him, his expression unreadable. "Are you okay?" Mr. Watanabe asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," the child responded, looking a little puzzled at the question.

"I'm sorry, Shuuichi-kun. You're father was a wonderful man," Mr. Watanabe felt awkward offering condolences to a boy, but it felt strangely appropriate, since Shuuichi had been in charge from the moment he had called the Watanabes with the news of the accident. _We always knew he was an unusual child..._

The boy nodded, expressionless once more, then walked out of the room. Mr. Watanabe walked after him, and waited with his wife as the boy knelt by Shiori.

"The doctor said that there was nothing they could do, Kaasan. They will keep him here tonight," Kurama put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at him, "Let's go home for now. The Watanabes are waiting to take us back. We'll return tomorrow with the family. I don't know what funeral arrangements are to be made, so you'll need to speak with Ojiisan and Obaasan when they arrive."

Shiori blinked, tears still falling silently. "Do you hear me, Kaasan?" he continued, "You'll need to be well-rested. And you should eat something. We left without dinner." Shiori finally nodded and slowly stood up. She let her son take her hand and lead her down the hall.

The doctor who had spoken to Mr. Watanabe and Kurama watched with a look of mixed amusement and amazement as the young boy took charge. "That's quite a child," he commented, as his eyes met the Watanabes' eyes.

"Truly," Mr. Watanabe responded, then he and his wife followed the other two.

As he led her to the car, Kurama glanced at his mother who had a tight grip on his hand. She looked less dazed now, but tears were still leaving streaks on her cheeks. Kurama sighed wearily. _Until I'm certain she will be okay, _he repeated to himself. _Then..._


	4. Part 4

**Summary**: The story of Kurama's life, from just before his rebirth as Shuuichi Minamino to his encounter with Yuusuke.

**Warnings**: Knowledge of _Yu Yu Hakusho_ preferable. Rated for language and some adult content.

**Author's Notes**: The word "yuugou" refers to the blending of two separate entities. Kurama himself used the word to refer to his situation (comic #10, page 10). "Hakusho" literally means "blank pages," and is used to refer to a journal or diary. Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

**Part IV**

Kurama could not seem to find the opportunity to leave. Especially since, as he grew older, he began to look more like his father, causing his mother to look at him with such love in her eyes. He just couldn't leave when she looked at him like that. Shuuichi had his mother's slender build, pale skin, long lashes and soft jaw, but he had his father's cat-like eyes, smoothly arched brows, thick hair, and it looked like he would end up with his height. Overall, the combination gave him a delicate, almost feminine look, and being soft-spoken like his mother added to the effect. But to his mother, he was growing into a handsome young man, just like his late father.

He was used to being admired for his appearance. After all, youko were known as one of the most breath-taking races in the demon realm, and he had ranked high even among his own race. But he wished that he looked less like a girl. It was not going to help him once he was able to grow out his hair, for as soon as he was accepted into a high school that was lax about hairstyles, he would let his hair grow long like it had been on his previous body. He had been quite an image, nearly seven feet tall, with long, silver hair flowing over pale, muscular arms, exquisitely chiseled face with golden eyes, a full, silver tail that reached almost to the ground and large, silver fox ears that twitched in response to sound. It would be a while yet before he could shift into that form again. Until then, he would have to settle for growing his hair long like a proper youko.

Kurama sighed, leaning his forehead against the bathroom mirror. Middle school hadn't changed anything. He was still the perfect student, by his own choice, and his classmates still reacted to him in the same way. Even more so. It was a whole new group of children, but the girls still adored him and whispered about him, and the boys still resented him but grudgingly respected him. He stood up straight and examined his left shoulder. That little amorphous demon's acid had eaten through his clothes and left a raw red mark the size of a softball. Kurama poked at the edges of the eaten skin, checking for any remaining acid, grimacing as he did so._ Well, at least I did more damage to him than he did to me..._ he thought with some satisfaction. This had been his hometown for almost fourteen years. He wasn't about to let some low-level demon wander about his territory and cause problems. Kurama chewed slowly on a medicinal leaf, spat the contents into his hand and placed the mash on the open wound. Not all demons in his territory were a problem, though... he had convinced, actually, "encouraged," one to travel back to the demon realm and return with plants that were useful to Kurama. He was still weak enough to pass through the portals himself, but he preferred not to return until he was ready. Kurama wrapped a bandage around his shoulder and upper arm, then eased himself into a clean shirt. Then he turned and left the bathroom.

"Hmmm, you smell nice, Shuuichi," his mother commented as she passed him in the hall, "like... some kind of herb."

Kurama smiled at his mother and kept walking, glad that her human nose wasn't sensitive enough to notice the smell of blood permeating his shoulder. In general, he had been fortunate, because after the elderly Mr. Nakata, he hadn't encountered too many people with strong reiki, so he hadn't needed to make much of an effort to mask his growing youki. But there was that one girl in his class this year...

Maya Kitajima. Kurama could tell immediately that she had a relatively strong sixth sense. And she seemed to have a fascination with ghosts, monsters, aliens, the occult. He tried to avoid her because masking his youki regularly was tiring, but she sought him out and tried to drag him into conversations about the bizarre and unnatural. _Not that I like to think of myself as bizarre and unnatural..._ Still, he found himself strangely drawn to her. Perhaps it was just her reiki. After over a decade of living among weak humans with barely any rei sense, he almost enjoyed the feel of a strong rei presence. And it didn't hurt that she had a puppy-dog look to her, almost fox-like. Or maybe it was just from having to deal with human puberty... which Kurama was less than pleased about. It annoyed him no end to have human hormones wreaking havoc on his state of mind.

That fall, there had been an unnatural number of disappearances in the area. People were talking about the disappearances and coming up with their own theories. Even the students at Shuuichi's school were talking about the disappearances, but they were more morbidly fascinated than worried. Kurama listened to the children discuss their theories, but stayed out of the conversation. Or, tried, since Maya kept directing comments at him.

Three high school students had disappeared overnight, adding to the rising number. Kurama walked down an empty hallway after school, considering the implications. _It couldn't be... and yet, this town seems to be building up demonic energy..._ He wasn't imagining it. There had to be a strong demon in town.

Kurama stopped as a dark mass oozed out of the floor. _Hedoki!_

"Kurama..." the small demon almost groaned.

"I thought I had told you to never return to this town," Kurama glared down at the creature.

"I'm gonna kill you, Kurama.... This town is ours now! Your powers are nothing compared to my new master's!"

Kurama threw a leaf dagger at him, but Hedoki escaped by breaking through the window. The boy remained in the hallway, anger rising in him. _He must have found a truly powerful demon to back him if he's feeling fearless enough to come and taunt me. _Kurama thought about the missing humans. _I would rather avoid using my powers... But if there is a demon using this town as its hunting grounds... I can't allow that. This is my territory._

He would have to fight.

"What was that?!" a surprised voice invaded his thoughts. He turned and found Maya standing a few feet away. "Was that a monster? Wow.... I can't believe I just saw that....!"

_She saw Hedoki? Damn, her sixth sense must have gotten stronger from being around me!_ "What are you talking about? You must be imagining things," he said.

"Don't try to fool me," she scolded, "I saw it clearly. And it's just like I'd suspected. You _do_ have some kind of spiritual powers! I saw you talking with that thing!"

Kurama didn't know how to respond.

"I'm so excited! I've always loved the occult and had been looking for someone with powers! Just imagine, that someone is my first love!"

Kurama _really_ didn't know how to respond.

He stood there without speaking. Finally, he started, "I... uh..." then he shook his head, "I have to leave." He walked away from Maya. She followed.

They were several blocks from the school when Kurama finally stopped. "Look, you need to go home," he said to the girl who had been walking behind him.

"But you haven't told me anything," she responded, then looked down, upset and embarrassed. "Just give it to me straight. I can handle it."

_I can't do that._ Kurama wasn't certain how much of his feelings had to do with himself or with the human body's hormones, or for that matter, what the feelings even signified. _Besides, being near me will put you in danger..._

_Danger..._ he looked up abruptly as he sensed a strong, menacing youki. He put a hand on Maya who turned to leave. "Stay with me," he ordered. She looked at him, confused.

Suddenly, Kurama swept the girl up into his arms and jumped back as a dark figure leapt down in front of them. The demon was dressed all in black, except for a white scarf, belt, and headband, and his black hair stood up on his head in sharp points. At first glance, he could pass as a short human youth. He held a long sword in his right hand.

"Impressive," the demon growled.

Kurama put Maya down, but she was too shocked to run for safety. He determined it would be easier for him to draw away the battle. He pulled a leaf out of his pocket and sent his energy into it. He attacked the demon with the leaf sword, then leapt up into the trees. The demon was right behind him. They eventually reached a secluded area in the woods and fought silently, Kurama matching the demon stroke for stroke.

"You're skilled," the demon finally said. "What's a strong one like you doing working under Yatsude?"

"What? Yatsude is here in this town?" Kurama paused. His opponent jumped backwards and paused as well.

"You're not the assassin Yatsude sent after me?" the demon questioned from several yards away.

Kurama straightened up and let the sword shrink back into a leaf. "Put down your sword," he said. "This is my territory. I've been here for years," he explained.

"Hn, how foolish," the demon grunted to himself, then grimaced, "I guess I wasn't thinking clearly..." Kurama watched as large red drops fell from the demon.

_Blood?_ The demon flinched, then fell forward, unconscious. Kurama surveyed the surroundings, then sighed and picked up the small demon, slinging him over his shoulder. This demon had attacked him, unprovoked, but they seemed to have a common enemy... He frowned. In the past, he would have simply left the demon where he fell to die... _Have I changed so much?_ He frowned again and decided to deal with that thought later.

_Yatsude. I can't fight him yet. Not in my current state. This is going to be a problem..._

By some miracle, Kurama was able to get the demon home and into his room without being noticed. Kurama finished tending to the short demon's injuries, but remained seated next to him on the bed. He hadn't seen another demon who looked this human since... well, since before he became human. Yet... he placed an arm on each side of the demon and leaned in closer. _He smells like the Makai... He must have arrived here recently. _He cautiously peeled back the demon's headband, wondering about the powerful youki emanating from beneath it. He discovered a seam in the forehead, a telltale sign of a jagan. He stretched out his senses and... _Hmm, it's an implant. Relatively new. No more than a year or so... _He replaced the headband and leaned even closer, taking in the scent of his homeland. An overwhelming feeling of nostalgia nearly threw him off the bed.

_Aahh, it seems so long since I was last there._ Kurama was beginning to understand why he hadn't left the demon to die. He took another long look at the demon, then walked to the other side of the room and sat on the floor under the window, back to the wall. Right now, he didn't need the temptation to go back. His mother had just recently started dating a man from work, but Kurama wouldn't leave her until he was certain that she would be happy and taken care of. _She still needs me._

A groan came from the demon. Kurama looked up, but the demon was still unconscious.

"Yukina..." this time the groan was a name.

Kurama sat still for a moment, then grabbed a book off of his desk and settled back against the wall to wait.

The demon opened his eyes a little over three hours later. In the meantime, Kurama had ended up having dinner with his mother downstairs and had even done some homework. Still, considering the injuries the demon had, he awoke much more quickly than Kurama had expected him to. The demon sat up and examined his chest. Then he looked at the boy warily.

"Impressive," Kurama repeated the demon's earlier comment, "You're already awake, and it's been only four hours."

The demon didn't respond but kept his red eyes on the boy.

"It was a rather bad injury, so I went ahead and took care of it," Kurama said in response to the unspoken question. "I used Makai herbs."

The demon kept his eyes on Kurama a moment more before letting his gaze wander around the room.

"You're in my room. You're safe for now."

The demon raised an eyebrow and finally spoke, "This is a human shelter."

Kurama grinned, "Well, you _are_ in the Ningenkai..."

"That's a human body," the demon accused after scrutinizing the boy.

"Oh, for the most part... It's a long story," Kurama shrugged.

"Hn," the demon snorted, not interested. He stood up and found his cloak on the floor. He threw it over his shoulders.

"So, who's this Yukina you were mentioning in your sleep?" The short demon froze and turned angry eyes on Kurama. "And I can tell that your jagan is relatively new," Kurama continued, ignoring the look, "It takes a major sacrifice to have one implanted. Does that have anything to do with this Yukina? Or with Yatsude?"

"You talk too much," the demon grunted. "I'd kill you now if you hadn't healed me." He wrapped the white scarf around his neck and opened the window behind Kurama.

Kurama looked up at the demon standing next to him, somewhat disappointed. _Don't leave. It's been years since I've seen another demon at my level. I want to talk with you._

Without looking at the boy, the demon said, "Your softness is going to get you killed."

_You think I've gone soft? Because I didn't kill you? _Kurama considered the demon's words. Then, "You're leaving already? You aren't planning on fighting again, are you? You should recuperate and strategize."

"The more he consumes, the more powerful he'll become," the demon started to climb out of the window, "You can stay home like a coward."

Kurama ignored the taunt and said, "You could at least tell me your name."

The demon paused briefly. "Hiei," he said, then was gone.

_Hiei. _Kurama had heard the name a few times in the year before he came to the human realm. Hiei, the thief who had been starting to make quite a name for himself. Being in the same line of business, Kurama figured that he would run into the other thief some day. _I just didn't expect to meet him here. Interesting... I wonder what he is doing here, and why he is so set on killing Yatsude. That Yukina..._

The phone rang. Recalling that his mother was taking a bath, Kurama stepped into the hall and down the stairs to answer it.

"Minamino residence."

"Hey, it's Tasaka," a boy's voice said. _The classmate who can't stand me._ "Listen, Kitajima's parents called because she hasn't come home yet. She'd better not be with you, man!"

Kurama's felt a chill go down his spine. _Just what I'd been afraid of happening... _He hung up the phone and went to the front door to grab his shoes.

Hiei hadn't gotten too far by the time Kurama caught up with him. "I'm accompanying you," Kurama stated as he landed on a rooftop behind the demon.

"Why now?"

"Circumstances have changed," the boy responded.

"Hn, that human girl. You sentimental fool."

"It's tough, isn't it?" Kurama asked, making a guess about Yukina.

The demon glared at him. "You assume too much. You're a pain in the ass."

"We can settle our differences later. First we get Yatsude."

The two figures leapt from rooftop to rooftop, unseen against the night sky.

-----

After initially fighting individually and at a disadvantage, Kurama and Hiei combined their efforts, proving to be a surprisingly effective team. The human/demon and the injured demon were able to beat the larger and more powerful Yatsude. Maya was found unharmed, and Hiei learned that contrary to rumor, Yatsude had not eaten an Ice Maiden.

Kurama glanced at the sullen demon as he settled the unconscious Maya on his back. _Yukina_. That would be an appropriate name for an Ice Maiden... He was curious about this short, surly demon who was obviously searching for a Koorime named Yukina. But Kurama could tell that asking Hiei wasn't going to get him any answers.

The boy stood and walked out of the abandoned factory. Surprisingly, Hiei walked beside him. The short demon sniffed the air around Kurama.

"Mugenbana," he noted. "You're erasing her memory."

Kurama nodded. "It's for the best." She should forget about her frightening abduction by a demon. And about her feelings for Kurama. It would be much easier for him if she weren't hovering around him all of the time, and it would be safer for her...

"Hn," Hiei snorted. They walked on in silence for several more moments. "I haven't asked you your name," the demon said eventually.

The boy glanced at the demon out of the corner of his eyes. It was obvious that Hiei wasn't the type to generally bother with one's name. Kurama smiled minutely.

"Kurama," he responded.

Hiei nodded, storing the information in his mind. Then, abruptly, he leapt away and disappeared into the approaching dawn.

-----

Kurama sensed Hiei's presence outside. He put down the textbook he had been skimming, stood up, and unlocked the window. As he opened it, Hiei landed lightly on the narrow ledge. He smelled of blood yet again.

"Hiei," the boy acknowledged. The demon stared at him for a moment before shoving past him and entering the room.

Hiei strode across the room and sat on the bed. He eyed Kurama a little nervously. Kurama closed the window.

"Well, good evening to you, too," Kurama said after a pause. No response. Kurama sighed. "I would have thought you would have gone back home by now. You're already stronger than the last time we met. You won't be able to get back soon," he pointed out.

"I have unfinished business," Hiei stated flatly. _Right, that Yukina..._

"Have you been here the whole time since Yatsude? Where are you staying?"

"Hn, around."

Kurama tilted his head at the demon. "You aren't asking to stay here, are you?" he inquired, suddenly tempted to tease the surly demon.

The demon snarled in response. Kurama chuckled. He turned away from the demon and sat back at his desk. He focused his attention back to the textbook.

Hiei observed him silently for awhile. "Why are you here?"

Kurama turned around in the chair and raised an eyebrow at the demon. "I _live_ here. This is _my _room," he teased again, "I should ask _you_ that question."

Hiei growled in irritation. "Why are you here in the Ningenkai in a human body?" he spat out.

"Would you answer me if I asked why _you_ are here?"

The demon looked away. Kurama chuckled again. "Do you know anything about me, the demon me?"

Hiei looked back, brows furrowed. It appeared that he'd already put some thought into this. "If you are truly the youko Kurama I'd heard about, you were known as an extremely cunning, ruthless, and brilliant thief." Kurama smiled at the description. "You were the leader of a gang of thieves for a long time, then you abruptly disbanded the group and went off to work solo for the last few centuries."

"Not entirely. I had a partner..." Kurama corrected. He felt his heart flinch at the memory...

"You worked in the deeper regions of the Makai then," the demon went on, "so you were seen less often these past centuries, but they were still talking about you by the time I was born." The demon looked directly at Kurama. "I'd hoped to run into you some day, but then you disappeared."

"Well, here I am."

"I'd hoped to meet _youko_ Kurama, not a human boy. You don't emit a fraction of the youki you were supposed to have."

"No, not yet," Kurama agreed easily, "and this body is fourteen years old, no longer a boy, nor is it entirely human anymore."

"So shift and let me see your former shape," demanded Hiei. "Prove your identity."

Kurama let out a sigh. "I can't yet. I'd thought I'd be able to by now, but then, I've never lost my body before..." Kurama held up his hands and looked at them. "Besides, even if I could, you would still sense the same amount of youki I have now. Shifting my appearance won't give me back my strength."

Hiei approached Kurama and grasped one of the upheld hands. He concentrated briefly. "Interesting," he said slowly. "I've met a human-youkai crossbreed before, but you're different."

"I'm one of a kind," Kurama grinned. "I'm a demon soul that has absorbed a human one and is melding with a human body that is absorbing demon energy. Eventually, this body will be human only in appearance." Hiei was still holding onto his left hand. Kurama leaned into Hiei and took a deep breath. It was fading, but he could still smell the Makai, mingled with the scent of blood. He leaned closer, tempted to lick the demon.

Hiei released him and stepped back, "That's close enough! Once a youko, always a youko... "

"I wasn't going to eat you," Kurama teased, "just taste you." Hiei ignored him and sat back on the bed. Kurama grinned and sat in his chair. He turned away from the demon and started reading again. After a while, he could sense the demon's growing irritation. Finally, he turned back towards Hiei.

"Are you going to ask me what you came here for?" Kurama asked, starting to tire of this game. Hiei gazed at him uneasily. Kurama closed his eyes briefly, then stood and walked to the closet. He pulled out a box and sat next to Hiei on the bed. "Take off your cloak," he ordered.

Hiei leaned away uncertainly. Kurama shook his head and sighed. "Look, you're obviously not going to kill me for it, so just ask." He opened the box and took out a roll of bandage and one of the flat packets. He unfolded the packet, revealing a few leaves and releasing a strong scent.

The demon stared at Kurama, expressionless, then removed his cloak, exposing a long gash on his right arm and a few shorter ones across his chest. The long gash was still oozing blood. Kurama tore a leaf into small pieces and stuck them in his mouth. He chewed them for several seconds, then rubbed the mash into the largest wound.

"Listen," he said as he worked, "I have no intention of looking for trouble right now. I just want to avoid fighting and live as a human until I'm ready to move on. I've already determined that you're not an enemy. Why don't you just do the same? You obviously came here because you expected my help."

Hiei watched Kurama work and didn't respond. When he was finished, the demon stood and walked to the window. He opened it, then without turning back, he stepped out onto the ledge, then flitted off into the night. Kurama remained on the bed, eyes on the open window. Then, he put the box away and walked up to the window. He pulled it closed and locked it. He returned to reading, but after several minutes, stood and unlocked the window once more. _Just in case..._


	5. Part 5

**Summary**: The story of Kurama's life, from just before his rebirth as Shuuichi Minamino to his encounter with Yuusuke.

**Warnings**: Knowledge of _Yu Yu Hakusho_ preferable. Rated for language and some adult content.

**Author's Notes**: The word "yuugou" refers to the blending of two separate entities. Kurama himself used the word to refer to his situation (comic #10, page 10). "Hakusho" literally means "blank pages," and is used to refer to a journal or diary. Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

**Part V**

_Even the best laid plans..._ Kurama found himself with the same thought once more. He sat on his bed with his head in his hands. _Damnit, how could this happen?_ His mother had been feeling weak and occasionally dizzy for sometime now, and now they knew that she had an unusual degenerative disease. The doctors didn't know how to help her, and Kurama didn't have the ability to do so. But that wasn't what had him seething in frustration. He had finally pieced together all of the signs, the feelings of guilt and protectiveness, the desire to see his mother happy, the inability to make the move to finally leave her... _Damn! Damn! Damn! _He smacked his palms against his forehead repeatedly. Eventually, he sat up, brushed a few long locks off his face, and leaned back on his arms, staring at the window in front of him. _Okay, so I love this woman, _he admitted, frowning. _Now what?_

He stood up and began to pace. He delved deep into his memory for some way to help the sick woman. Having acknowledged that he loved the human woman, he decided to stop wondering about how it had happened and move on. It was now his responsibility to save her, if possible.

Kurama paused, confirming his senses and almost smiling, then continued to pace. The window opened, letting in the fall evening air. He didn't stop pacing as Hiei entered the room. He stopped, however, when he sensed surprise.

"What?" he asked the demon, facing him. Hiei was looking him over with a slight frown.

"Humans change quickly," the demon noted. He had come and gone from Kurama's room several times initially, but now it had been over half a year since his last appearance. Kurama had actually missed the taciturn demon. But he was currently too distracted to try to engage him in conversation.

"What?" Kurama repeated, looking down at himself.

"You're taller," Hiei stated. The boy had always been taller than the demon, but now he was nearly a head taller than the just-over-five-feet-tall Hiei, and his body no longer had the awkward in-between look of a human in puberty. Hiei nodded slightly in approval. "And that hair..." he pointed out Kurama's hair which now hung below his shoulders.

"Oh, that, I _encouraged_ the hair a bit..." Kurama dismissed the observation with a wave of his hand and resumed pacing. The demon watched, almost amused.

"You're agitated," he stated at length, definitely sounding amused.

"You're observant," Kurama snapped without stopping.

"I thought the great youko Kurama was supposed to be the epitome of calmness," said Hiei, one corner of his mouth raised slightly.

At that, Kurama stopped pacing. _He's right. I'm not acting like myself._ He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath. Then he faced the demon. "Hiei, I'm glad to see you again after all these months, but I'm not feeling very sociable at the moment."

"That's fine, because I'm not here for tea." _Hiei has a sense of humor?_ The demon walked over and took his usual spot on the bed. "I have a proposition."

Despite his mood, Kurama couldn't resist. "I thought you weren't going to let me taste you."

Hiei snorted. He looked up at Kurama, his lips pressed together. Kurama rolled his eyes, then nodded for the demon to continue.

"I want something that is in the Reikai vaults."

"No," Kurama responded immediately. _The last time I was there..._ He closed his eyes as images of violently spurting blood and a tall, struggling, winged figure flashed before him. "No," he repeated firmly.

"No?" Hiei questioned. "Giving up on your old ways? Going to live a tame, law-abiding, human existence?"

Kurama didn't respond. He started to pace again.

"You could choose whatever you wanted for yourself," the demon offered.

Kurama stopped and faced the bed. "I have different priorities now, Hiei. And treasures aren't high on that list."

"I already have one demon who is in on the plan, but he has no brains nor much dexterity. I could really use you."

"I said, no."

Hiei watched the human pace across the room. Finally, he scooted back on the bed and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Ever heard of the Mirror of Darkness?"

Kurama glanced at Hiei without stopping, "Yes, I have."

"It grants wishes."

"So I've heard. But the bearer is supposed to offer something in exchange. I've never heard what that is, though."

"You could find out, I'm sure," said Hiei, slyly.

"If I wanted to make the effort," Kurama responded with a snort.

"And I'm sure you would find a good use for the mirror," Hiei continued evenly.

Kurama stopped in his tracks, finally seeing the point Hiei was making. Then he narrowed his eyes. "And just what do you suggest I use it for?"

"That's up to you," the demon replied with a shrug. "I'm sure there's something you want."

"...You've been spying on me," Kurama said slowly, his voice almost a growl. The tree outside the window began to rustle dangerously.

The demon didn't deny it. "That's what I do," he said, unconcerned. He scooted off of the bed and planted himself in front of Kurama. "Well, when do you want to meet Gouki to discuss plans?"

Kurama opened his mouth, then shut it, unable to respond. Hiei continued to look up at him. "I assume you don't have that much time," he said, "and I'm sure there are tools you might want to acquire before we do the job."

"I haven't agreed to anything!" Kurama exclaimed, infuriated.

"Maybe you'd like to ask your mother's permission?"

Kurama flinched, his thoughts immediately going to his mother lying in a hospital bed. "You..." he said through clenched teeth, "devious, manipulative, calculating..."

"Coming from you, that's praise," Hiei smiled. He knew he had won.

The boy sighed, defeated. The tree stopped its rustling. _He's right. I could try to find another way to save her, but there isn't much time. And with my previous experience there, and with his speed and jagan sight, this shouldn't be too difficult a job..._

"Fine, you've got me," Kurama said resolutely, less angry now. "But we do it my way." Hiei might have started to build a name for himself, but he was known more as an aggressive thief, often using brute force and little subtlety. Kurama had no intention of drawing attention to himself, so the job would need to be planned meticulously. It was much more difficult to steal without leaving behind signs of the thieves.

"That's fine. I've always been curious about how the legendary Kurama operated," responded Hiei, with just a hint of respect for the much older fox demon. "You start planning. I'll be in touch shortly after I contact Gouki again."

The demon stepped out the window, leaving Kurama standing in the middle of the room alone. Kurama closed the window, then banged his forehead against the glass once, eyes closed. _Damn..._ He suddenly felt too weary to stand. He flicked off the light, and without getting out of his clothes, lay on the bed and shut his eyes. However, sleep did not come immediately.

-----

The job itself went without a hitch, but the fool Gouki proved to be their downfall. He got distracted as they were running back, then called out their names.

"Hiei, Kurama, wait!" the large demon rushed to catch up.

"Gouki, you moron!" Hiei hissed, but it was too late.

As a result, the Reikai knew who to go after, and Kurama ended up a wanted criminal again after fifteen years of anonymity.

_I'd kill that idiot if it mattered,_ Kurama groaned inwardly. But knowing what he now did of the Mirror of Utter Dark, he decided it wasn't worth his time or energy to kill the soul-eating demon. They had made it back from the Reikai vault and were meeting in the woods at the edge of Shuuichi's hometown. Gouki and Hiei were going on about plans to create a zombie army out of humans using their stolen items. Gouki, he could understand, since he ate human souls, but Kurama had never understood why Hiei seemed to dislike humans so much. He was certain, though, that it had something to do with that mysterious Yukina.

"You two do what you want, but I'll have nothing to do with it," stated Kurama.

"You're leaving us?" Hiei demanded, although he did not look surprised. "Coward," he added with a snort.

"Well, if you're leaving, we're not sharing the treasure with you," Gouki snarled. "Give back the mirror!"

"That wasn't part of the agreement," Kurama said to Gouki, but the comment was directed at Hiei. "I need this mirror." Hiei stood silently.

"Yeah? Guess I'll just have to take it from you!" Gouki rushed towards the slender youth. Hiei and Kurama turned as they sensed a presence.

"Hold on just one moment!" a voice yelled.

The three thieves watched as a boy entered the clearing. He was wearing a Sarayashiki Middle School uniform and had his hair slicked back off his forehead. He was a few inches shorter than Shuuichi, but it was apparent that the boy was built like a boxer.

"I'm Reikai detective Yuusuke Urameshi! You are all under arrest! Hand over the treasures!" Gouki laughed out loud. Hiei stood for a moment, then leapt up into a tree and bounded away. Kurama considered the new arrival. He didn't want to fight a human, but with Gouki there, he didn't think he'd be given an opportunity to have a calm discussion with the boy. He turned away and walked to the edge of the clearing.

"Hey, come back, both of you!" the boy yelled. Kurama ignored him and kept walking. Behind him, he heard Gouki call the boy back, perfectly willing to engage in a fight. Kurama walked far enough into the woods so as not be detected, but then he stopped, letting his senses flow back to the clearing. The fight was not going well for the human boy. Kurama bit his lower lip, trying to decide what to do. _I have no loyalty to this human. But neither do I have any desire to see Gouki kill him..._

Fortunately, he didn't have to decide. He sensed a strong rei presence appear near the clearing, then a voice called out as if to a large group of campers. Kurama breathed a sigh of relief as he sensed Gouki leave hurriedly. The boy was still alive.

Kurama left the woods and headed for his empty house, the mirror tucked safely in his pocket.

-----

Kurama slid through the crowd, sensing the boy's ki approaching. Abruptly, he was there in front of Kurama, dressed for school and limping in pain. The boy looked at the taller figure warily.

"You don't need to look so defensive," Kurama said. "I'm not here to fight you." The boy's eyebrows raised in mistrust. "I want to ask a favor of you," Kurama continued.

"A favor...?"

Kurama pulled the mirror out of a pocket and held it up. "You can have the mirror back in three days." He looked the boy in the eyes. "And I will go to the Reikai without a fight." The boy's eyes widened.

"Why...?" he asked slowly.

Kurama shook his head. "In three days. I promise." He held his breath as the detective considered the offer.

"Okay." _Okay?_ Kurama released the breath in relief. He hadn't realized how much he had not wanted to have to kill the human boy.

"Thank you," he said, smiling grimly, then turned and made himself disappear into the crowd.

-----

The stocky boy looked surprised to find Kurama in front of his school.

"You! Kurama!"

"I promised to return the mirror today," Kurama reminded him. Yuusuke pondered the statement for a moment before his expression gave away the fact that he'd completely forgotten about their agreement. "But there's someone I'd like you to meet first."

They didn't talk as they walked to the station, rode the train for several stops, then eventually ended up at a hospital. Yuusuke stared at the hospital as they approached, confused. He glanced at the name on the wall as they entered one of the rooms. Minamino. A middle-aged woman was resting in the only bed in the room. She looked up as the two boys crossed the room.

"My, how unusual!" she said, extremely surprised. "You brought a friend?" She started to sit up.

"It's okay, Kaasan, don't get up," Kurama said, resting a hand against the woman's shoulder.

_Kaasan?_ Yuusuke was thoroughly confused. He could have sworn that Botan had said Kurama was a demon. And the meter had responded to Kurama's youki... But this woman was clearly human. He looked her over again and noticed the angry-looking scars on both of her arms. Yuusuke stood silently as Kurama peeled fruit for the woman and made her eat it, scolding her as he did so.

"You have to keep up your strength," he chastised, but his tone was gentle.

"You are so strict, Shuuichi," the woman said, smiling lovingly.

_What the hell?_ The demon was acting like a perfectly normal, loving son. But then, Yuusuke hadn't actually seen Kurama fight, so maybe he was in fact a gentle demon.

Later, as they stood on the hospital rooftop, Kurama explained his situation. Yuusuke stared at Kurama's back as the long-haired boy looked down at the street. The sun was just beginning to set.

"Shuuichi is my human name. And that woman is my human mother. My father died awhile back." He paused, scanning the sky. Night would fall shortly, then he would be able to act and repay Shiori.

Without turning to face Yuusuke, Kurama continued, explaining his true identity and how he had come to be in a human body. And the fact that he had planned on leaving his human family as soon as he was able.

"So why didn't you?"

Kurama remained silent for a long moment. "Did you see the scars on her arm?"

"Yeah, they looked old," responded Yuusuke.

Kurama sighed, then told the boy about the incident six years ago, the day that had so shocked him. "Since then, every time I see those scars, I'm reminded of her smile of relief." _Relief because I hadn't been hurt. That a demon with the ability to heal easily hadn't been hurt..._ He closed his eyes briefly before continuing. "I didn't think I could ever have such feelings, but when she fell ill, I was forced to see the truth. That I love this human as my mother."

Having actually said the words for the first time, that he loved her, Kurama was able to confirm how true those words were. He hadn't hesitated as he'd said them. And he had no intention of taking them back. He knew that he was making the right choice, the only choice he could make.

"The way things are going, she won't last another month. I want to use this mirror to save her life. Once that is accomplished, I will return the treasure and go turn myself in," he said.

"Won't she be alone if you turn yourself in?" asked Yuusuke.

Kurama paused, surprised that the Reikai detective would even think to ask that. "It's okay. She's dating someone, the president of a small business. Once she's well, she'll be happier without me around." Kurama had done some research and knew that the man was honest and dependable. He loved Shiori, and he would take good care of her after Kurama was gone.

Yuusuke was silent for several seconds. "Why are you telling me all this?" he finally asked.

_Why? _Kurama wasn't certain himself. He thought for a moment. "I guess I just wanted someone to hear my final confessions..." He smiled slightly. "And you trusted me."

The door slammed open and a middle-aged man ran out onto the roof. "Shuuichi-kun! I'd been looking for you! Come! Shiori-san is..." the man exclaimed, out of breath.

Kurama ran towards the door without waiting for another word. Yuusuke followed the taller boy back to Shiori Minamino's room. The woman had lost consciousness and was hooked up to a respirator.

"She may not last the night," the doctor said sorrowfully. "We will do what we can, but perhaps you should consider contacting family members..."

Yuusuke sat uncomfortably by the wall as Kurama and the woman's boyfriend sat by the bed, keeping vigilance. The sky continued to darken outside the window. Finally, when night had fallen, the tall boy stood and walked quickly out of the room. Yuusuke followed hurriedly as Kurama walked down the hall and towards the stairs leading to the roof.

"I have no choice but to do it," Kurama said.

"You're going to use the mirror?" asked Yuusuke. "I was told you have to offer something in exchange to have your wish granted. Do you know what that is?"

Kurama didn't respond immediately. "Yes. My life."

Yuusuke almost missed the step. He righted himself and continued up the stairs after Kurama. Once out on the roof, Kurama took the mirror out of a pocket, knelt, and set it on the floor. The moonlight reflected eerily off of it. Yuusuke knelt beside the other boy as he summoned the mirror's power. It came to life, projecting an image of a smiling Shiori.

"You wish for her happiness," a voice boomed from the mirror.

"Yes, I do," Kurama said softly.

"Are you insane?" Yuusuke hissed. "It's going to kill you!"

Kurama smiled at the younger boy, his face oddly peaceful. Yuusuke blinked, noting for the first time that the other boy was extremely attractive. Kurama sighed, a sad, wistful sound. "It's the least I can do for her... to make up for lying to her all of these years..."

Kurama gave the boy a reassuring smile before placing an open palm above the mirror. He had made his choice, and he had no regrets about it... save not being able to be with Shiori any longer... _What an irony that it took me a millenia to find love and now I willingly give it up..._ He closed his eyes as a bright light flashed from the mirror and pain surged through his body like electricity. He could feel his life force being drained from him.

_I'm sorry, Kaasan, but this is the only way I can help you right now._

Abruptly, the drain lessened. He opened his eyes to see Yuusuke holding a hand above the mirror as well.

"What..."

"Look, if I share my life, maybe it won't have to take all of yours," the boy said through clenched teeth.

"Are you a fool? You..." What was this boy doing, risking his own life?

"...Have you ever seen your mother crying over you? There's nothing worse..."

Kurama stared at Yuusuke. No, he hadn't actually considered what his mother would go through with his death. As a demon, it didn't immediately occur to him that one would grieve severely over a death, especially his own. Yet, hadn't he grieved over...

The brightness increased, flooding their awareness with white until all was black.

-----

_I'm alive..._

Kurama stared at his hand that was right next to his face. He tentatively moved a finger.

_Kaasan!_

Suddenly remembering what he had been doing, he pushed himself off of the floor and ran to the door. He threw it open and took the stairs at a run. He continued down the hall, ignoring the nurse who tried to slow him down, and rushed into his mother's room.

"Kaasan!"

Shiori's boyfriend greeted him at the door. "Shuuichi-kun!" There was pure relief and joy in his voice. "She's okay!"

"It's a miracle, really," the doctor added with a smile. "The human body has amazing resilience..."

A soft voice came from the bed hesitantly. "Shuuichi... are you there?" Shiori's hand reached up, searching for her son.

Emotion threatened to overtake Kurama. He felt his eyes grow moist, something that had happened only a handful of times in his entire long life, and never in Shuuichi's life. He moved swiftly to the bedside and took the woman's hand in his.

"I'm here, Kaasan. I'm not going anywhere..."

From the doorway, Yuusuke watched the human/demon with his mother. He grinned. _I guess not all demons are evil._

Kurama looked up, sensing the boy's presence. He gave Yuusuke a grateful smile. Yuusuke blinked, slightly surprised by the radiant smile. He shrugged. _I guess not all demons are hideous-looking either._ He placed the mirror safely in his pocket and left, pleased with himself.

-----

The amazed hospital staff released Shiori Minamino the next day, finding no reason to keep her any longer. Her boyfriend left work so that he could drive her home, and Kurama left school early so that he could join them. Shiori smiled as her son fussed over her, hovering near her as she walked from the hospital room she'd been confined to for several weeks, to her boyfriend's car. He'd been protective of her for years, but it seemed that, amazingly, it had gotten even worse.

"Shuuichi, I'm not going to break," she finally laughed as he tried to help her up the few stairs in to their house.

The boy paused. "I know, Kaasan. But you've been ill for so long... Just humor me," his grin was light-hearted, but Shiori could see that the weeks of worrying had affected him. Now that she was well and could spare the attention, she could tell that her son hadn't been sleeping enough nor eating well. _My poor boy... how awful this must have been for you..._

Kurama unlocked the front door and stepped through with Shiori. He helped her remove her shoes as her boyfriend followed with her travel bag.

"Sit down," Kurama ordered his mother after leading her into the living room.

"Shuuichi," she protested.

"Are you hungry? What do you feel like for dinner?" the boy asked, ignoring her protest. He turned and walked into the kitchen.

Shiori gave her boyfriend a helpless smile. He laughed back. "Shiori-san, you should know by now that you can't argue with Shuuichi-kun."

"I'm supposed to be taking care of him. He's been neglected for too long."

He knelt beside the sofa and took her hands. "Let him take care of you. It'll be good for him. You aren't the only one who's been feeling helpless these past weeks."

"I know..." Shiori said guiltily.

"And, you can take care of him again starting tomorrow. Sound fair?"

The woman nodded as her son entered the room with a tray holding three cups and a tea server. He knelt by the table and proceeded to pour the tea. "Genmai tea," he informed his mother who was trying to see over the rim of the cups. "Hatanaka-san, will you be staying for dinner?"

"Oh, no, I need to stop by work for a bit and then get home to my son. Thank you," the man responded as he accepted a cup from the boy.

He left about ten minutes later, and then it was just mother and son. Shiori watched as her son cleared the low table and disappeared into the kitchen again. He returned shortly and sat beside her on the sofa.

"No preferences?" Kurama inquired. "How's your appetite?"

"Honestly, Shuuichi, I feel better than I have in years. I don't understand it, but it's just wonderful."

He looked at her for a long moment, as if afraid that she would disappear. Finally, he sighed. "I'm just so glad you're well. And that we're together..."

Shiori smiled at him, even as she wondered briefly about the slight emphasis on the word "together." "I'm glad, too. I couldn't have made it through this without you, Shuuichi."

Kurama returned the smile. Then he stood briskly. "Well, Kaasan, since you're going to be absolutely no help, I'll just have to make the weighty decision of what we'll have for dinner," he teased.

He went back into the kitchen and stood in front of the closed refrigerator for several seconds. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He still couldn't believe that both of them had made it back home. _I owe Yuusuke so much!_ He had no idea what the Reikai had in store for him, but as long as he could remain with Shiori while she lived, he would accept any consequence. Because now that he had survived the ordeal, he wasn't going to willingly give up the chance he'd been given to continue living with the woman he had grown to love.

They could throw him in Hell for centuries. Later. But for the next three, maybe four decades, he was determined to remain in the Ningenkai.

The great demon thief Kurama had lost his heart to a human woman, and for now, he would call her world his home.


End file.
